Your Brain on Work: Sex, Drugs or Work?
Your brain is constantly learning what feels rewarding and what makes you want to do it again - which can make work surprisingly hard to put down.
Sex. Drugs. Work.
They might seem like very different things.
But to your brain, what matters isn't just the activity itself. It's what the activity gives you.
Relief. Achievement. Connection. A break from discomfort. A sense of reward.
And work can provide a surprising amount of all of these.
What’s happening in your brain?
Your brain is constantly learning what feels rewarding and what makes you want to do something again.
When something produces a rewarding experience, your brain takes note: ‘Let’s do that again.’
And work can give your brain plenty of opportunities to learn.
You finish something. You get praise.
You solve a difficult problem. You feel competent.
Your boss responds positively. You feel valued.
You get the promotion, close the deal, hit the goal, or receive the Slack message that says, ‘Great work.’
Your brain gets a little signal: ‘That mattered. Do it again.’
Why work can become so reinforcing
The tricky part is that work doesn't always reward us in predictable ways.
Sometimes you work hard and get nothing.
Sometimes you spend hours on something and then receive an unexpected compliment.
Sometimes a big accomplishment is followed by another challenge before you've even had time to enjoy it.
This unpredictability can actually make a behavior more compelling.
You don't know exactly when the next reward is coming, so your brain keeps checking.
Is there another email? Did my boss respond? What if I just finish one more thing?
And work has another advantage - it's socially rewarded.
Working hard is often praised.
Being busy can signal importance.
Going above and beyond can earn recognition.
So unlike many things we know we should limit, work can be the thing everyone around us is encouraging us to do more of.
That's where things can get interesting.
When work starts meeting more than one need
Work can become a way to meet needs that have very little to do with the actual work.
Need to feel valuable? Accomplishment can help.
Need to feel in control? Completing tasks can help.
Need connection? Your coworkers can provide it.
Need to avoid something uncomfortable? Work can give you something else to focus on.
At first, this can be useful.
But if work becomes your primary way of regulating how you feel, your brain can start reaching for it automatically.
You're stressed, so you work.
You're anxious, so you work.
You're bored, so you work.
You don't know what to do with yourself, so you check your email.
You finally have time off, and instead of feeling relieved, you feel restless.
The behavior isn't necessarily the problem.
It's what happens when your brain starts believing work is the fastest or most reliable way to feel good.
So what can we do about it?
The goal isn't to stop enjoying work or to treat every productive behavior like a problem.
It's to notice what your brain is actually getting from it.
The next time you find yourself working when you don't really need to, ask: ‘What do I really need right now?’
Achievement?
Connection?
Control?
Relief?
Or simply something to focus on?
Sometimes the answer will be, ‘I genuinely need to finish this.’
But sometimes you'll realize that you're reaching for work because your brain has learned that work reliably gives you something you need.
And that's the moment you have a choice.
You can meet that need through work.
Or you can ask whether there is another way to meet it.
Because your brain isn't necessarily addicted to your job.
It may simply have learned that work is a very reliable way to feel good.
The more we understand what our brains are actually seeking, the more choices we have about how to meet those needs.
Your Brain on Work is a WorkSense™ publication exploring the psychology behind our everyday experiences at work - and using those insights to help work make sense.